The L'Cie Chronicles: The Demons Of Chaos
by Pharonix
Summary: Four heroes, bound by fate, embark on a deadly journey that will put their abilities to the test. Based On the FFXIII Universe.
1. The Man Without A Past

Chapter One : The Man Without A Past

'It has been three days since I have awoken in this nightmarish wasteland. In this land of inconsistencies, the only constant seems to be the continuous attack of hellish beasts, though vicious as they were, they are occasionally repelled by the blackish mark on my right hand. To make matters worse, I have NO memory of who I am, where I am from, or how I got here. Is there no salvation?'

This was the third journal entry he had written since he had awoken three days earlier. Since there was absolutely no telling of how long he had been out or how long he had been there. he began his entries at day one.

The man stood up and stared at the sky. Dark looming storm clouds formed overhead.

"Rain soon, better find shelter" the man said to himself. He stood around five foot ten and had a slim yet muscular build. His hair was jet-black, the same as his eyes. His left arm was covered in various tattoos, many of which may have had meaning in the past. The most peculiar of which rested on his right hand. The design of which was very intricate, at first glance it would appear to be a normal tattoo if it wasn't for the fact that the mark would occasionally glow crimson and burn like the fires of hell itself.

The man walked over to his campsite, which had been set up since he had awoken. For a one person campsite, it was rather large, considering as there must have been much traveling in his past. There was a great deal of materials here. The man packed a small bag of food, water and a few other essential materials including his journal, a medium sized, leather bound book that was sealed tight and without the key, would never open. he also packed the two blades he found in his campsite. They were both beaten up, black katanas, the sheathes matched the blades. He liked the black blade better so he positioned that on his left hip so as to draw it with his dominant right hand. He wore a black fingerless glove on his right hand to hide the brand, as it attracted trouble. He just wished that there had been a map of some sort in the camp.

He began to move out in search of shelter, as a storm was approaching. 


	2. A Storm Approaches

Chapter Two : A Storm Approaches

He hadn't even been travelling for an hour when the sky began to bludgeon the dry landscape with rain. The man picked up the pace as he was hammered by the rain that stung his skin. To add peril to the abuse he was forced to take, visibility was reduced to near zero levels. He could only see a few steps in front of him, a timeframe so short, he didn't notice the he was heading for the edge of a cliff until it was too late.

She had been lucky to find shelter when she did. She knew far too well from experience how dangerous travel can be when it began to storm. Visibility goes to hell, you become disoriented and the rain pelting your body hurts like hell.

She lit a fire in the middle of the cave for warmth and light. Though she was only out in the rain for a moment or two, she was drenched from head to toe. In weather like this, it is far too easy to catch sickness, so easy in fact, that if you weren't careful you could easily die.

She laid her bag by the fire to dry it off and began to undress, she would have to dry off and get warm before sickness set in.

Her clothes were now laid out, drying by the fire as her, herself tried to get warm. She was in her underwear, still dripping though the fire was helping if only slightly. At Five Foot Five, she stood by the fire, water dripping from her pale blue hair.

Her name was Coriana, she was a fighter, she had to in order to survive in this wasteland. This land was called Pulse, it lived in the shadow of Cocoon, which was essentially a shell that sustained life. During the recent invasion of Cocoon by Pulse monsters she was on the escape shuttle which ironically evacuated to Pulse in fear that Cocoon would be destroyed. However, in the end the Six great L'Cie Saved Cocoon from utter destruction. Those who managed to make it to Pulse Have been unable to make it back home, so they instead made Pulse their new home. It is a dangerous land but you got strong fast.

The storm outside raged on outside as Coriana Set down to sleep. A few hours passed before she could actually sleep. She kept thinking about a campsite she had passed by on her travels. She hoped that whoever had set that camp up had found shelter like her.  
'If they went the wrong way..' she couldn't imagine the peril they could be in.

Somewhere in the distance a lone traveler stumbles upon a body lying face down at the bot'tom of a cliff

"Shiva" 


	3. Meet The Gang

CHAPTER THREE : Meet The Gang

It had been the first time he dreamt since he had awaken on this nightmarish plain, even if the dream itself came only seconds before consciousness.

It was a beautiful girl, medium height and slim build. She sported blue hair and eyes, easily recognizable. He had only a brief chance to see her before waking up in an ice shelter.

He sat straight up, but the pain was unbearable so he lay back down. He moved his head to get a view of where he was.

Sure enough, the shelter was made entirely out of ice though it seemed he was the only one here. He studied his reflection in the ice shelter's ceiling. His shirt was missing and there were bandages wrapping his entire torso except for his right arm. There was a scar on his right eye. He looked at his right hand, the glove was missing and the brand remained.

"Never Thought I'd See Another One Like You" Said A Voice.

The injured man looked toward the source of the sound. There was a man standing in a newly formed doorway. He stood around 6 foot seven he had blond hair, blue eyes, and a stubble beard. He was wearing a black bandanna, black gloves, large gray boots, a light blue vest and a striped blue scarf hanging from a belt under a long beige trench coat. Though he was missing the distinctive brand on his left forearm, the man knew exactly who this stranger was.

"You're Snow Vilers huh?"

"Who else would I be? So anyway I saw your brand, you're a L'Cie ain't you?"

The man looked confused. "I honestly don't know. I thought it seemed strange but I couldn't tell, if I am, I don't know how I became one or what my focus would be. I don't even remember who I am or where I came from. Until just a moment ago, I didn't have any kind of clue, at least until the dream I just had."

The man told Snow everything up until their meeting.

"So let me get this straight, you remember everything except your own past? That's some crazy ass amnesia you got there. Well anyway eat up, you need your strength, especially if you are planning on recovering properly."

There was a sound of cracking ice as the two figures entered the shelter. They were Stiria and Nix, the Shiva Sisters, they were also Snow's Eidolon,  
a partner that can be called upon to aid one in time of need. It was then that the man realized how the shelter was formed. Thanks to Snow and his Eidolon, his life was saved. When the two sisters entered the shelter it vanished, showing a clear sunny sky.

"Thanks you two, it must have been exhausing keeping the shelter up through the storm. Get some rest, you deserve it." The Shiva sisters vanished and Snow turned to the other man.

"Those two were out all night maintaining the shelter. That storm was one of the worst yet. You're just lucky I found you when I did."

"Yeah, thanks I would probably be dead."

"No problem, save everyone you can. I gotta get back home, she must be worried sick. Wanna tag along, I could use the company right now."

The man accepted Snow's offer and the two set off towards his home.

A few hours passed and they found themselves in a small village. As they passed by houses Snow told his companion who lived where. The man was amazed that they the heroes he respected still lived by each other, though it made sense since they were essentially a family.

They soon arrived at Snow's house and they immediately knew something was wrong. They heard screaming and breaking glass. When Snow opened the door it became clear who was doing the fighting.

The two doing the fighting were the easily recognizable Lightning Farron, and Oerba Yun Fang.

Snow sighed "Not this again. Would you two stop fighting for once?" The room quieted down as everyone looked at Snow who had just entered the house, though seconds later the fighting resumed.

"Who do you think you are setting my alarm for later." Light screamed "Oh come on now girl, stop being such a hardass. It was a joke, haven't you developed a sense of humor by now?" "Fang, because of you I was late for work." "And?" "I was late by THREE hours! You're just lucky..." "STOP IT!" Snow shouted and cut her off.

Once again the room was silent as everyone looked at Snow. "There's someone I want you two meet." Everyone looked as Snow led a battered man into the room.

Light saw his hand. "He's a L'Cie, but not one I recognize" Snow told the group. They all sat down as Snow and the man told them the story.

When the two men finished telling their tale there was a brief moment of silence.

"So let me get this straight" Another man stood up. He was about 40 years old and about six foot two. He was wearing a long, olive coat over khaki trousers, a white button-down shirt, black buckled engineer boots and was sporting an afro. This was Sazh Katzroy "If I understand correctly, you're a L'Cie who has no memories about himself, yet you remember everything else? That couldn't be any worse for ya. Not to mention if you have a focus."

"That's right" added Hope Estheim, a young boy of about fourteen years of age. He was wearing a black shirt, green pants and green boots. His silver hair was left untidy this morning. "If you can't remember your focus, you can't complete it which would mean.." "I'll become a Cieth." The man stood up and looked at the heroes of Cocoon. "I thank you for your hospitality but I really shou.." The man cut off as he fell to his knee in pain, the brand on his hand glowing a dark crimson.

The gang watched as he fought the hell that had befallen him. About ten minutes later the mark faded back to its usual black color and the man rose back to his feet. "I'm so sorry about that. The mark will occasionally burn and glow red. Though the fits have begun to last longer over time. I really should be going."

"Not in that condition" A young girl told him. This was Vanille from the Dia clan of Gran Pulse's city of Oerba. She appeared to be around nineteen years of age. She had bright red hair tied back in curled pigtails, striking green eyes, and had both of her ears pierced with small silver hoop earrings. She was wearing a light pink halter top, a short orange and yellow skirt, and yellow boots. "Follow me you." She led the man to a room. You could immedietly tell it belonged to a young boy. "This is Hope's room. Dont worry though, he can stay with Snow for a few days. Goodnight, hope you get a good rest." Vanille giggled and skipped off, leaving the man confused.

He laid down on the young boy's bed, his legs hanging over the edge. He lied awake for a while, wondering if he should tell the others about his dream. He decided it could wait and closed his eyes. 


	4. A Name Adopted, A Farewell

Chapter Four : A Name Adopted, A Farewell

He was sitting at the table with Snow, Hope and Serah, Snow's wife and Lightning's sister. She was around eighteen years in age and her hair was a light pink just like her sister Lightning. It was quiet this morning, especially since what happened yesterday between fang and lightning.  
The food was strange looking, though it was delicious.

He had another dream that night. This time the girl looked sad. It appeared as if something was troubling her, she looked toward the sky and whispered yet a single name. 'Fai'

He was absorbed in thought as he thought about who she could be.

Snow knew something was bothering him so he asked.

"Eh, it's nothing" he told Snow, "It's just this dream I've been having since the storm."

"So, tell us" Hope told the man.

"Okay."

The man told the three about his dreams.  
"The thing that confuses me is I don't remember her, or this guy named Fai" he told Snow.

"You probably don't know this 'Fai' because he's you. That's possible right" Serah added.

"I agree" Hope said "I say we make that your name. All that's left is to figure out who She is."

The man and the others nodded in agreement. "Fai it is."

Coriana was sitting by a fire in the cave. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. The nightmare had returned. They kept bringing her back to that fateful day that changed her life forever...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COCOON - Ten Days Prior

The day began like any ordinary one, a morning run followed by a cold shower after which she grabbed a small meal and rushed off to the work. She was a member of the guardian corps.

Today, she was supposed to be on field duty, however the officer who was in charge of training the new recruits had come down sick and the responsibility had been passed on to her.

About halfway through the day, during their mandatory five minute break, the invasion happened. Massive creatures from Gran Pulse began invading Cocoon, it was a nightmare. Only four shuttles would escape. The first full with Cocoon citizens. the second held a handful of guardian corps soldiers, a group that she had insisted on joining. She would much rather fight than run, however the ones she loved were on the other shuttle. She HAD to go.

As A passenger on shuttle 2, and as a soldier, it was her job and a few others' to make sure the shuttles got away.

As the shuttles took off, each carrying upwards of 2500 passengers, there was a feeling of dread that came over her. The entire flight she watched shuttle 3, the one containing her family and friends. Then it happened.

The shuttles had left Cocoon airspace and had a clear path to Gran Pulse. They soon flew into a turbulent debris field. She noticed the third shuttle struggling in flight. Then she saw smoke.

The third shuttle's left engine burst into flames. She knew it was too late to save them. Coriana watched in horror as the shuttle with everyone she cared for began to nose dive toward Pulse. The shuttle would never make it that far. Shortly after the shuttle was entirely engulfed in flames and minutes later, the shuttle was destroyed in a large scale explosion.

The horror struck soldier collapsed to her knees. As a soldier it was uncustomary to show negative emotion no matter the circumstances. She was lucky to survive, the only reason she had been able to board the shuttle, and the reason her family and loved ones were able to board was because she had been a member of the Corps.

'If I never joined' she thought 'they never would have been on that shuttle, they would still be alive. It's MY fault they...' She was unable to finish her thoughts as a fellow soldier grabbed her by her wrist and brought her to her feet.

The man stood five foot eleven and sported light silver hair and dark blue eyes. He was wearing a jet-black uniform with crimson trim. iT Was first lieutenant Aldeban, Alistair Aldeban, her commanding officer, her partner and life long friend.

"Cori" he said as he pulled her into an embrace. He grip was warm adn strong. It reminded her of when they were kids and he always seemed to come to her rescue. It was because of him that she joined the Corps. She wanted to be strong, just the the man she always admired.  
"Listen, I know the timing is hell, but I need you to stay focused, at least for a little while. When the shuttle lands we are going to have to protect the citizens until we can all set up some form of camp."

She wiped tears that had been forming in her eyes and looked at him.  
"Okay." she said weakly "Okay."

She took a seat and looked out the window. She could still see the burning wreakage. She was now alone, she had lost everyone. Her parents, her friends, and him. the one person that believed in her, the one person who loved her, the one person that could always keep her safe, her brother, her best friend.

'Fai, goodbye.'

Fai waved farewell to the gang as he turned to head on his way.

"Not so fast" Snow told the guy. "Take this." Snow handed Fai a long trenchcoat. "It's called the Wild Bear. May it bring you strength and protect you on your travels." Fai thanked Snow and once more turned to leave.

In his path was Vanille and Hope, they handed him a bag of supplies.  
"It contains food and medicine." Vanille told the man.  
"There is also a map of Gran Pulse, and a Bestiary so you know how to protect yourself from the monsters."

Before the man could move once more, Sazh appeared before him.  
"Your blades were beaten up so I fixed them for you. The only problem was there wasn't enough material to fix them both so I kind of combined them for you." He handed Fai A Long black sword and a sheath to be worn on his back.

Fai Thanked Sazh and everyone else once more. Walking into the horizon the man began to think.

'What is my focus?'


	5. The Village Of The Blight

Chapter Five - The Village Of The Blight

It has been two days since the nightmares returned, Coriana had tried to forget the unfortunate fate that had befallen her loved ones, however, something was keeping her from moving on.

She had been travelling nonstop, only stopping to eat, or to sleep. During her travels, she had met very few others, mostly small groups of travellers in search of larger settlements. After several of these groups told her of bizzare happenings that had been occurring in a small village to the East. She decided it was best to start there. The rumors consisted of giant monsters, demons and the occasional pack of animals or bandits so she decided to visit the village.

Information she had gathered the village has called Faire, and due to unfortunate circumstances, now only housed 30 residents. The remainder of the village's supposed 250 residents had either been killed, gone missing or had fled. According to the directions she had received, she was about a day's travel from Faire.

'No time to rest now' she said to herself and broke into a light run.

Though the village was small, there was a massive amount of damage done. Families displaced, food stores destroyed, buildings in flame. It was a nightmare for the few that had stayed behind. These included the injured, those with families and those who chose to stay behind and offer the little protection they could.

Fai had arrived at this village just a day earlier during his travels West, yet was still a day late when it came to the destruction of the village. There weren't many survivors, only about thirty. He decided to stay in the village, he felt it was his duty, he wanted to protect everyone. Even if it meant giving up his life to do so.

The villagers told the stranger of the demons that came out at night. There were demon soldiers the size of a large man, there were beasts spawned by hell itself. Though the true terror was the Archdemon that led them. It stood a frightening 25 feet tall and could even best the Adamantoise that roamed the Archylte Steppe. This demon is what laid waste to most of their precious village.

Upon hearing this, Fai vowed to put an end to the demon's threat. The villagers found him insane and asked him how he planned on defeating a demon that towered over him. "I don't know." He told them "But I'll do my best."

It was dark now, and he was exhausted. He hadn't gotten any sleep since his arrival - he put himself on constant guard duty. Yet tonight, his second night here, there was an odd feeling in the air. A feeling he couldn't explain. It was relaxing, it was foreign, yet felt familiar at the same time.

Before he could realize what was happening, his eyes were shut, he was asleep.

The village was powerless.

She could see the village, though the first sight of it was frightening. Flames as high as the sky had formed around the villages border and had seemed to engulf the village in a dome of fire. She ran for the gate as she saw about fifty demon footsoldiers march toward her.

'Guess I'm gonna get bloody' she told herself as she charged head on into the mob. 


	6. The Demons Of Chaos

Chapter Six - The Demons Of Chaos

She had been travelling North, driven by an invisible hand that had led her to an inescapable fate.

Her name was Raiyne, a young, sweet girl of eighteen years of age. She wore a A dark blue skirt with a light blue top. She had white fingerless gloves and white, knee-high boots. Her hair and eyes a shade of dark blue.

She had left her home in search for adventure, and travelling with her only friend, her staff, set out in search of her own tales of adventure and glory. Shortly into her journey however, she had begun having nightmares. Nightmares in which four heroes followed an inescapeable fate, to charge head on into an onslaught of demons and beast. These nightmares had led her to the city of Faire, where her visions had proven true. A Blaze of fire around the city would prevent her entry into the city.

She turned back, deciding last minute to run from her visions. In her path stood a demon.

The demon was a beautiful young woman with long, flowing, dark blue hair. She had dark blue eyes and wore a long, light blue dress with white elbow length gloves.  
"My name is Mizu" the demon replied, "I am the Demon of Water that follows Thadon, the God of Chaos, the Lord of Death, The King of Darkness." the demon rose her hand and her body began to glow. The Demon of Water's hair shortened to shoulder length, black hair. Her dress became a long dark blue skirt that hung down her left leg and a dark blue bikini top with light blue lace hanging from it. She also developed a pair of dark blue wings that reached from just over her head to her feet.

Raiyne readied her staff.

"Foolish warrior of Cosmos, your life ends here."

Just as she finished speaking, a torrent of water rushed toward the girl.

"Dammit" she cried as the wave washed over her.

The demons kept coming. Coriana had slain around eighty or so of the monsters, yet there seemed to be absolutely no end to them. Yet after every ten that she slew, a child's voice seemed to mock her.

"Show your face you coward!" she screamed "Stop wasting my time! Fight me yourself!"

"So you wished it, so you shall have it." the voice replied.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground and standing where it hit was a young girl. She had long, flowing, silver hair. She wore a long blue coat with yellow ornamental designs on it. Under the coat was a very short, blue dress. She also wore a yellow and blue four banded tiara. She held in her hand a blue blade that emenated electricity.

"I am Elysia, the Demon of Thunder that follows Thadon, the God of Chaos, the Lord of Death, The King of Darkness."

"You're a Demon?" Coriana replied and began to laugh, "But you are just a child, there is no.."

"Stop it you meanie!" the child cried, "Stop laughing, it isn't funny!"

Coriana had to stop herself from laughing, which proved difficult. "I'm sorry little girl, but its hard to believe that such a sweet young thing like yourself is a demon."

"I'll show you the true power of Chaos' Demons" The demon by the name of Elysia Cried. She raised her blade, and a beam of lightning struck it. "I don't even need my beast form to kill you human." She swung her blade and a blade of electricity was launched at the Demon's foe.

Coriana easily jumped over the blade, only to realize that the demon had been launching many more. She dodged each one that came at her.

"I see you're really giving me a workout." She taunted the demon.  
"QUIT DODGING!" the child cried and began to attack more furiously.

After several minutes of fight, the demon charged at her enemy, swinging her blade even faster.  
Coriana had begun to slow down and several blades nearly hit her.  
As she dodged the last one, a sword cut through the air. She had no time to dodge so she blocked with her blade - bad choice.

Thousands of bolts of lightning began to flow through her body until she was out cold, lying face down on the ground.

The thunder demon walked over to the body and kicked it, "Awwww, stupid human, I wasn't finished playing. Oh well, time to find more toys." She walked away and disappeared in a flash of lightning.

He was compelled to visit Faire, a small town to the South. plagued by visions of destruction and armageddon. His name was Orin, he had short silver hair and wore a black outfit, he had a black and silver cape and wore a silver hood. He held two short blades in his hands. In a small sack on his hip he had several poison filled viles that he used to coat his blades. He also kept a few vials of antidote, in case of accidental infection.

When Orin arrived at the gates of Faire he was greeted by an army of demons, several smokescreens helped make short work of them.

"I can see you are a master assassin." A voice called from the shadows "Show yourself fiend" Orin called to the voice "Fight me yourself, stop wasting my time with your useless minions."  
"Very well" a voice whispered behind him. Orin just moved in time to prevent a blade being thrust through his chest. "I can see you are as well Demon."  
"Not bad Orin."  
"How do you know my name fiend?"  
"I am Erebos, Shadow Demon of Thadon, the God of Chaos. I am also known to mortals as the Shadow of Death, or rather, Death itself. the demon took the form of an older Swordsman with short, grey hair. his eyes were black and he wore a black rogue's outfit. As Orin saw the demon a strange eariness washed over him, it was like looking into both a mirror and the future.  
"I have seen your work boy, and I must admit, I would be honored to have you serve me."  
"I would not work for you or any demon" The assassin replied, "Now defend yourself." The assassin disappeared into the shadows while his counterpart did the same.

The battle was nearly operatic, the two fought, their fighting styles mimicing the other, as if they were one in the same.

They had fought for what seemed an eternity, with neither side yielding.  
"I didn't believe I would require this form during a first encounter young assassin, but you leave me no choice."  
Waves of darkness covered the demon, leaving his human form behind and revealing a much sinister being in its wake. Erebos of the Shadow now Donned a Black Cloak and Black Wings that reached from the ground to his head. His head resembled that of a black dragon and his hands were replaced with claws.

Before Orin could react the demon struck him down with lighning fast speed. The demon however, failed to leave a fatal wound.

"You must be wondering why I am letting you live human." Erebos now took on his human form. "It is because I have big plans for you." The demon walked away and fused with the shadows.

'come find me..son'

Fai had just awoken, only to realize he had fallen asleep on lookout.  
"Dammit" he said to himself "Damn you Fai, why did you fall asleep." He climbed the ladder down from the guard post and looked around.

Buildings were on, others were burnt to the ground and a large dome of fire surrounded the village. "Looks like the party started without me." he mumbled and began searching for the demons responsible.

While looking around he had noticed that the bodies of the survivors that had been living there were scattered around the village. "They're all dead Fai, all of them. How could you just fall asleep and leave them to die? It's all your fault." He was blaming himself "It's all my fault alright, I pushed myself too hard and my exhaustion killed them, ALL of them."

While he was fighting his inner conflicts, he didn't notice the being lurking in the shadows.

'Foolish human, you die!' It lunged at him with its blade. Fai heard the weapon and reacted in time to get slashed, but avoid fatal injuries. Fai drew his blade and prepared to fight.

A Demon was facing Fai, it wore a medium grey robe with a violet sash around the middle. The robe was twisting, as if it had the spirit of the wind. on his head he wore a sugegasa with white fabric hanging from it, hiding the demon's face.

"My name is Feng, Wind Demon of Thadon, the God of Chaos. My blade strikes with hurricane speed and perfect precision, you will fall before me." The demon raised his twin blades and began to swing them furiously, until both seemed to meld into one single storm of steel.

At first Fai could defend himself, but due to the nature of his enemy, he found it difficult to strike. He was forced on the defensive, a tactic he wouldn't be able to maintain for much longer. The strikes gained momentum, up to the point his blade was blown from his hand. All he could do was dodge, leaving his enemy in his path. He kept this up for about five minutes, at which point the Demon of the Wind vanished.

'behind you'

Fai turned, only to be met with a flurry of steel and eventually, darkness.

Even before the wave struck her, Raiyne could feel a strange power flowing through her. She would have dodged if she hadn't noticed the brand on her hand, four interlocking crescents, four arrows. As the wave struck, the brand shined. Instead of crushing her, the wave encircled her and eventually rose to the sky, becoming a large, blue serpent. Raiyne recognized this being instantly, "Leviathan, theres no way."  
She watched as The Demon of Water changed once more, into a massive dark blue dragon that immediately began to do battle with the serpent.  
"Did I just summon leviathan? What's going on?"

'It is the power I have given you my child. I am Syl, Goddess of Cosmos, Keeper of Peace. The demon you were attacked by is one of Thadon, God of Chaos, my opposite, and regrettably, my brother. I have chosen you as well as three others to battle him. To succeed you will need to be strong, so I have given you my power. Do you understand my child?'

Raiyne heard the voice in her head and replied "Yes, I do, I am scared but I will fight."

'Good, you are now Raiyne, warrior of the South, Warrior of chaos. The others need your assistance, follow my guidance, Leviathan will protect you.' 


	7. United: The Heroes Of Cosmos

Chapter Seven - Unite: The Heroes Of Cosmos

Raiyne was led to the Villages west gate. As she progressed toward her goal, she found herself fighting mobs of demonspawn Which appeared in different sizes and utilized different abilities. As she got closer she noticed the body of a young woman.

'Raiyne, That is Coriana,Raiyne, you must heal her.'  
"Huh? Heal her? Like as in magic?"  
'Yes, exactly like that. Within the powers I gave you lie the ability of healing. While you can heal all minor and most major wounds. You cannot heal someone if they lie dead. Her time is running out, her heart has been stalled by the power of lightning, if you do not resuscitate her soon, she will die'

"How do I heal her? I don't know how to use magic."  
'Raise your staff at her, feel the power flow through you and command it to follow your will.'

The girl followed the voice's instruction and almost immediately a soothing green aura began to flow around the woman.

Within seconds Coriana opened her eyes to see a young girl standing above her.

Raiyne explained the situation to Coriana and the two began to run toward the third member of their fated group.

As they ran, they constantly heard battle cries coming from the sky.  
"Is that a dragon? and who is it fighting? Is that.."  
"Yes, it's Leviathan, and I somehow summoned him to aid me in battle against the dragon."  
"Raiyne, is that dragon another demon."  
"Yes, the Demon of Water, That's who I had to fight. Let's keep going"

The two girls came upon a swordsman sitting by a tree, surrounded by pools of blood and a sea of slain enemies.

"So they sent more of you huh?" The man drew his blades in seconds.  
'Orin. Stop, they mean no harm.'  
"Who are you? Show yourself demon."  
'I cannot, at least not now. I have chosen you as one of my champions to defend against the true demons. I am Syl, Goddess of Cosmos, Keeper of Peace. You are Orin, a master assassin, and also the Chosen Hero of the North.'

Orin finally realized the green aura that had been flowing around him, it was Raiyne, she had been healing him as he was talking to Cosmos.

The two girls filled him in on the situation.

"I guess I have no choice huh?" Orin stood up, he was feeling much better since being healed.  
"I'll join you guys. But I'm only in this until I figure out what I mean to that demon"  
"Which one?" The girls asked in unison.

Orin told them about his encounter with the Shadow Demon. "The strange thing is, it was like looking in a mirror. And when he walked away he said something I couldn't make out. Though unlike your fights, he seemed to not want to kill me. He didn't leave any lethal blows, and he purposely avoided my vital points. He was clearly a master assassin but it was like he was training me."

"Strange, maybe he Does know ya." Coriana and Orin looked at Raiyne "Or maybe not."

'My children, you must find Fai.'

Coriana stood up and looked to the sky "What did you Say!" She was furious, "Are you mocking me! Explain yourself!"

There was silence and yet a single command was uttered 'He lies in the heart of Faire. He sustained many lethal strikes by a foe who can strike with hurricane speeds, A Wind Demon. You must find him.'

Orin led the group to the gate, still surrounded by flame.

'I can open the gate but only long enough for one person to make it through. So you must decide who will go.'

Raiyne looked at the other two. "One of you should go."  
Orin and Coriana looked at each other "No." Replied Orin, "You should go"

The girl was shocked and the others could tell she was scared.  
"Why should I go? You two can fight better, all I have is some magic."

"It's true that I could get to him and maybe get him out faster than both of you." Orin stated and Coriana glared at him. "I, well, I mean because I'm an assassin trained in speed and stealth. However, I do not possess the skills needed to heal him. I may be able to reach him in time, but if we are attacked on the way back, I may not make it in time to save him."

"That's exactly why you should go Raiyne," Coriana told the girl. "I know you may be scared, but if you make it to him in time, and heal him, he will protect you. There's nothing to worry about."

The girl held back tears of fright. She knew she had to be the one to go.

'So it is decided, Raiyne will go.'

The three of them stood before the gate with Raiyne in front. She was holding her staff and Orin could see it shaking. The assassin walked up next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, you're going to be fine." He told the girl as he stepped in front of her and now faced the girl. "I was raised as an assassin my entire life, I have been taught to ignore fear. But you know, fear leads to courage, and that can make you stronger." Raiyne had stopped shaking, but Orin knew she was still scared to death. The assassin reached down and removed his tool belt, then knealt down and secured it to the girl's waist.

She watched as he stood up and faced the gate. "No need to ask Raiyne, put the staff away until you need it. Use my blades to protect yourself until you reach Fai. They are coated with a poison that can weaken many strong foes. If you are to strike yourself by accident, drink the vial labeled 'AV-1' it will save your life."

Coriana walked up to the girl. "You ready?" Raiyne nodded and approached the gate.

Raiyne saw a flash of blue light and watched as the flames receded, opening a path. She fastened her staff to her back, pulled out Orin's knives and ran past the barrier.

The other two watched as the flames moved to block the gate once more. It was all up to the girl now.

Orin and Coriana began to wait, and didn't even notice that their brands had begun to shine. Orin's was on his back, on his right shoulder, Coriana's was on her left breast, right by her heart.

High above the village Leviathan and its dragon enemy had ended their battle in a draw and both beings disappeared. 


	8. Reunion

Chapter Eight : Reunion - A Life Once Lost

They must have been expecting her.

As soon as Raiyne stepped within the gates of Faire, demons of ice and fire had been attacking her, and those that didn't were busy fighting the opposite element.

She had slain around thirteen monsters before finally giving them the slip. She was in a building that had been in a fire, there were even a few embers still burning. Luckily it still provided shelter. She looked out the window and saw a ghastly sight.

It was a man, at least thats what she thought she saw. She couldn't make out his face, his robe and the fabric hanging from his hat was hiding his entire figure. He was carrying two swords that were soaked in blood.

Her heart sank, she could only think that fai had met his death, but wouldn't Cosmos have told them that?

When the demon had disappeared, leaving only a long trail of blood behind she followed the path away from the creature, wanting to prevent any further conflict.

They had been too busy waiting for Raiyne and Fai, too busy to notice that they had been surrounded. There would be no time to escape, they had to fight. From the east came those made from water, the west brought enemies made almost entirely of electricity, only their heads were not coated. out of nowhere a beast jumped on Coriana, but Orin was there to pull the beast off and stab it several times. Coriana looked at Orin, who was holding a very small dagger.

"I was.. am an assassin, I never leave myself unprotected." He told the woman and dashed off toward the water demons. "I guess it can't be helped" she said to herself and rushed off towards the other group. "It beats standing around and being bored to death."

They were everywhere, Coriana looked and saw Orin obliterate everything in his path. Her enemies were slightly harder, the weapons and heads of her foes were the only things unprotected by the shielding of electricity. It proved to be quite a challenge, even for one of her abilities.

She found him.

He was laying facedown in a pool of his own blood, in which the flames around the city were reflected. He looked dead as she rushed to his side and rolled the man over. There were Six overlapping x's on the poor man's chest, most likely inflicted by that frightning creature.

By appearance, the man seemed beyond all hope, until she heard the voice.

'Raiyne, he isn't dead, not yet. But he soon will be.'

Tears hit her, she doubted her abilities but the spirit that watched over her had a strong belief in her. She placed her hands on the man's chest, ignoring the feel of blood and closed her eyes. 'heal' she thought 'heal dammit' She began crying as a blue aura began to flow from her hands into the injured man. She felt it work but it made her weary.

'I don't know how..' She couldn't finish her thought before she fell unconscious onto the man, the aura still flowing.

He had dreamt again, this time not of the girl, but another being. She was a beautiful woman, wearing a long pale blue dress with long blonde hair.

"Fai," she told him, "Today is not the day you die, wake up."

He woke to the world he had been defeated in. As he stood up, he noticed a young girl fall to his feet, she was covered in what seemed to be blood.

His heart stopped, was she slain while tending to his aid? NO, it was his blood that was coating her, it was because of her that he was still breathing. He checked himself, the jacket Snow had given him was intact but his shirt was torn to shreds, leaving behind only a series of large scars. "What a powerful young girl." he said to himself as he picked up his own things.

When he finished collecting his things he checked on the girl that was still breathing. She wouldn't wake for a while, so he decided to carry her. He put the girl on his back, piggyback style and began running for an exit. "Lets hope we don't run into trouble."

It took only minutes to reach the North Gate, where his hopes diminished. The gate was destroyed yet replaced by a wall of flames.

"No way around it." He said as he placed the girl on the ground and removed his coat which he used to wrap the girl in.

He stood facing the flames for a few seconds and tried to determine how deep they ran. When he decided that they weren't as heavy as he thought, he ran into the furnace.

Upon emerging from the flames, he threw himself and the girl into a roll, extinguishing the fire. Surprisingly, the two emerged unscathed.

As he picked himself up to his feet he noticed an enemy army of demons and what looked to be two humans, a man and a woman, fending them off. The man seemed to have his side under control. It was the woman and the thunder enemies that she was fighting. He picked up his blade and looked at the girl. It was now that he could see her left hand. "She's got the brand too. No doubt about it. Something brought us here."

He found a broken piece of the city walls and hid the girl behind it and rushed off to help the woman fight her enemies.

They had begun overpowering her. They came at her in groups and took advantage of their small vulnerable area. Right as she began to think her cause was lost, she saw him.

He jumped right over her head and the enemies that surrounded her and charged into the heart of the demon mob.

She finished her group and watched as the man began slaying each creature, one right after the next. His movements were fast, his strikes precise and his technique flawless.

"Who is this guy?" She said to herself, "Who is he?"

As the enemy began to retreat, the man turned and was greeted by the two he had come to the aid of.

"Fai? It's you!" the woman cried and ran to him and took him in an embrace. "I thought I lost you!"

He looked, and saw she was crying. He just couldn't remember who she was, except that she had been in his dreams.

The second man broke up the reunion. "Where's Raiyne?"

Fai looked confused "Raiyne? who's that?"

"Don't act stupid you bastard. The girl that saved your sorry ass."

"So thats who..." he said to himself. "Follow me." He led the two to spot he hid the girl. As they approached her unconscious body, she came to and saw the three standing above her. "Where am I?" she asked.

"Safe." the three answered. 


	9. A Past Revealed

Chapter Nine - A Past Revealed

Fai sat there and listened as Coriana explained as much as she could to him.

His name was indeed Fai, he was also her brother. The two were orphaned when they were young, so the two grew close and looked out for each other. Fai had joined a recruitment program for the Guardian Corps when he was thirteen and Coriana joined a year later. It was tough at first, they had to deal with the same training regimen as the older recruits even though they were years younger. At sixteen, Fai was brought aboard as a full time soldier and followed the path of a weapon specialist and was trained to wield any weapon. His sister followed the path of a field specialist soon after.

The two fought side by side on the front lines for four years, after which a series of psychological breakdowns caused Fai to be released from the GC - He claimed to hear voices warning him of impending doom.

After a while he began to forsake and ignore the voices. Coriana was the only one who knew he still heard them. Only by her recommendation was he able to rejoin the Corps - under heavy supervision.

A week after his 21st birthday, the voices warned him one last time, the day of reckoning had come, but he ignored them once more. This was the day Gran Pulse attacked.

He was ordered to supervise the escape of one of the escape shuttles, Coriana was on the other. Since the GC had priority over who was allowed on the shuttles, Fai and Coriana were able to get those they cared for on the shuttles. Their "family" consisted of those they met in the orphanage prior to joining the Corps and those they met throughout their lives. She had requested to board Fai's shuttle but insisted she go. They put her on shuttle 2.

She took a break from telling Fai his history so the group could eat - they were all exhausted from the fights they all were in.

Fai noticed that his sister was barely eating and asked her what the problem was.

She shook her head "Nothing" she told him in a soft tone. Just that you're not gonna like the end.

The group looked at her, urging her to finish the tale. She took a deep breath and continued.

"Fai," she told him "You died that day. The shuttle you were on, blew to pieces. There were no survivors. And if there were, the fall would have finished the job."

The group sat there and looked at her in silence.  
Then Fai spoke, "Then how is it that I'm here with you guys? If I was destroyed in that explosion, why am I here."

Fai stood up and walked off. Raiyne got up to console him but the others stopped her.  
"Let him go." Orin told her, "He needs some time alone."

Fai walked until he came to a ridge, water was flowing below. He picked up a rock and threw it into the stream and watched as it hit with a splash. "Why am I here?" he asked himself, "Why?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a tremor. He watched as the ground shook and a great mountain began to rise on the opposite cliff.

The others soon joined him in watching the event that took place. The mountain stretched toward the sky - miles high. When the quaking stopped they heard a voice.

"Foolish warriors of Cosmos, you will not stop Daemon, you will be destroyed." The voice echoed from the direction of the mountain. They knew it had to be one of the demons.

The battle had begun. 


	10. The First Demon Earth

Chapter Ten - The First Demon: Earth

The four of them stood at the base of the mountain. Before them stood what appeared to be a sealed passageway with unfamiliar writing on it. As they began to find a way to open it, the writing began to move and form words they recognized.

"By blood spilt of the enemy, the way will open." Coriana read, "What do they mean by that?"

"It means," Orin said as he pulled out a dagger "Blood must be spealt." He ran the blade across his hand and blood began to spill from the wound. He approached the door, and a second quake struck, this time revealing a passageway. "Stay together." He told the others. When the four entered, the passage sealed behind them. There would be no turning back.

They followed a dark corridor into a dimly lit room. As the group entered the room, the ground began to shift. The floor in front of them began to lower, revealing a pit with spike lined walls. They looked up, the ceiling had opened the same way as the floor.

"A battle arena? It can't be." Raiyne said "It's impossible."

"I don't think we're in a position to think it'simpossible, after all that's already happened." Fai told her, and jumped into the pit. Before the others could join him a field of energy surrounded the arena. Fai was on his own for this fight.

As he stood in the pit, a strange feeling overcame him. It wasn't a feeling of fear, but rather a feeling of excitement. He couldn't wait to get started.

"You sure are brave to jump right back into danger after your defeat at the hands of Feng human." The demon taunted. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

The demon was right, Fai knew it. What if his battle turns out the same as the one with that demon? Fai shook those thoughts from his head and looked at his companions. They looked worried but he gave them a thumbs up. "Don't worry." He told them "The Past is Past look only towards the future." As he finished speaking a strange energy began to pulse in front of him. As it began to fade, three creatures resembling minotaurs were facing him. The first fight had begun.

The beasts weren't any faster than a normal human, but they were much stronger. Fai discovered this as one of the creatures slammed its fists into the ground, making the entire arena shake. He pulled out his sword and readied himself, he couldn't afford to let one of them strike him. The three creatures charged as a group and Fai quickly counted their charge by jumping over them and slashing one of the beasts. This had little effect as the creature swung its head around and slammed it into him, sending him tumbling across the ground and coming to a stop near the spikes that lined the walls.

"Dammit that hurt." Fai said to himself. As he got back to his feet he noticed the creatures charging him again. "This is my chance." He told himself. He waited until the creatures almost reached him, at which point he jumped behind them and struck.

There was a loud roar as he kicked two of the beasts into the spikes, bloods rushed from their bodies. The third minotaur roared and swung its fists at him, but Fai was too fast for the beast. He put distance between himself and the monster and lured it into a charge. Fai charged back hoping to sever the beasts legs, but the creature stopped mid charge and stomped its feet, sending a shockwave toward Fai. The blow was powerful and sent him off balance, losing his blade.

"Shit." He cried, "How is it so powerful? Why am I so weak?" His doubting began to get the best of him. The beast charged again and Fai thought the worst, until he felt an immense heat enveloping the arena. His blade had begun to glow a dark crimson color and was engulfed in flame. Without thinking, he grabbed the sword and swung it at the monster. The creature was engulfed in flames and fell dead.

With the three beasts slain, the field around the arena dissipated and a stairway appeared, leading Fai out of the pit. As the team regrouped, the arena rose into the ceiling, and a stairway leading to a higher floor appeared. As the team entered, Fai couldn't help but think, where that power came from.

The upper floors brought other types of monsters, goblins, wolves and other beasts of the Earth, They were not necessarily more powerful, but rather more numerous and thus difficult to maintain a defense against.

They eventually made it to the top, they could see the sky beyond the ceiling. That would be where the demon was waiting. They didn't want to take any chances, they all decided to fight together. As they all entered the pit, something felt different. THere were no spikes or energy field this time.

"It's a trap!" Orin cried and jumped out of the pit. the arena closed behind him, trapping his friends.

"So one of you escaped huh?" The demon told him "I was hoping to send all of you to your graves. But that can't be helped." The demon appeared in front of him. He took form of a young male, wearing black pants with a black no sleeve shirt he had spikey brown hair and dark green eyes. He was carrying a a green longsword and pointed it at Orin, "Prepare yourself human." Orin drew his blades and stood still as the demon lunged at him. Orin blocked the blade with one hand and slices the demon's arm with the other. The demon swung again but his sword just slammed into the ground, as Orin appeared behind him and sliced his back. The demon fell to a knee.

"Demon," Orin told him, "This is your end." The demon began to laugh.

"The end? You stupid human, you have no idea who the hell you are dealing with. Prepare to witness the true power of Daichi, Earth Demon of Chaos!" Wings began to sprout from his back and he flew through the ceiling. Orin watched as the demon tranformed, taking the form of a large dragon with scales resembling moss and wings resembling tree branches. The beast let out a roar, destroying the slab of rock trapping his friends. He fell to a knee, fearing the worst as the dust cleared, revealing nothing. He felt that all had been lost, until he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He looked up to see Coriana looking down at him.

"Glad to see you care Orin." She told him. "But now is not the time to show pain. Lets destroy this creature."

The four watched as the room around them blew apart, revealing the outside world. The dragon landed in a large patch of earth and let out another roar, sending a quake through the mountain. They rushed down the mountainside, disregarding the incline as the mountain began to crumble around them.

Out of danger, the group watched the rest of the mountain fall behind them.

"That demon has some power." Orin stated "I guess that's why he's the Earth demon." The others looked at him, to which he responded "That's right, you don't know."

"Know what?" the others asked in unison

"That dragon over there, thats one of Chaos' demons. It controls Earth."

The group exchanged looks. If they were to fulfil their destiny, they would need to defeat this creature. Without a word, the group charged into battle.

As the four drew close to him, the ground shook once more. A rock wall rose around them all. There would be no way to escape the fight that would ensue. The dragon roared and a piece of the wall shook loose. It rose about nine feet in the air, and after a brief pause it flew toward the group.

They split and charged the beast. The demon saw through the attack and swatted the group aside, except for Fai, who managed to dodge in time. He saw his comrades scatter under the force of the strike. They weren't moving. It was up to him.

The demon kept lunging at him, but Fai could feel a power burning within him. It was the same power he felt back in the fight arena. This power erupted into his blade, enveloping it in flames. His eyes burned red and the crest on his right hand turned crimson. The beast backed from the warrior, frightened at the power that had awoken inside him.

"Demon!" He cried, "You die here!" The boy swung his blade, flames sprouted from beneath the beast. The demon roared in pain and eventually fell in defeat, its body burning to ash. As the flames cleared, he lost consciousness.

When he came to, he was surrounded by his comrades. Aside from a few cuts and scratches, they were fine. As he pulled himself to his feet, he noticed his hands were bandaged.  
"Be careful with those, you got burnt pretty badly." Orin told him "I guess this means you can control fire."  
'Fire,' Fai thought, 'I can use fire?'

The group walked over to where the demon's ashes were. Under the surface of the remains was a lone orb. It was black with an erie green glow. "I don't know why but I feel we need to collect these from those demons." Raiyne told the group. They nodded in agreement. There was no doubt that these orbs contained the key to defeating Daemon.

The battle had begun. 


End file.
